Republican National Committee sees a fundraising revival

Many prominent Republican donors are still sitting on the sidelines of the 2012 race, as the Los Angeles Times reported today, but it appears they are finding other outlets for their contributions.

One beneficiary of the donor ambivalence has been the Republican National Committee, which pulled in more than $7 million in March, bringing the total raised in the first three months under its new chairman, Reince Priebus, to $15.7 million.

That means the RNC raised more money in the first quarter of 2011 than the first quarters of 2009 and 2010 combined, during the tenure of chairman Michael Steele.

Many contributors “are coming with us at the RNC because they’re not willing to make a choice yet,” said Ron Weiser, the organization’s new national finance chair. “They may have been asked, but not by the right candidate yet. They want to see more.”